On March 6, 2017 around 100 dedicated clinicians attended the inaugural AVATAR State of the Art in Vascular Access Management seminar, held at Rydges Parramatta. A key aim of the seminar was to present both the evidence and the art of vascular access care in relation to peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs); central venous access devices (CVADs) and paediatric vascular access. Attendees were a mixed bunch with vascular access clinicians being the largest group (32%), followed by critical care (18%), inpatient services (11%), cancer services (10%) and infection prevention (9%), with the balance made up of several other speciality groups.

Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are the most commonly used vascular access device in health care with around 65% of hospitalized patients receiving PIVC therapy during their stay. The insertion of a PIVC is the most commonly performed invasive procedure in hospitalized patients. However, failure rates of PIVCs are high at around 40% before the completion of treatment this impacts significantly on patients, staff and the healthcare system. Failure can be a consequence of occlusion, dislodgement, infiltration/extravasation, phlebitis, or local/systemic infection. Prevention of these failures through evidence based practice is important, and as such AVATAR has developed, with an unrestricted grant from Baxter, this educational video on PIVC insertion, maintenance and removal that incorporates best practices based on current evidence. Reducing the complications and failure will provide patients with a better health care experience.

In these videos Dr. Vineet Chopra of the U-M Medical School, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation describes the newly published Michigan Appropriateness Guideline for Intravenous Catheters, or MAGIC -- a set of criteria for choosing the best and safest IV device for each patient based on research and expert consensus.